Families donate to those in need

A holiday spirit for giving blossomed.

But it began with a struggle for a girl and her parents standing by their Christmas tree six years ago.

Dave Holloway, a Papillion father of two, asked his then-6-year-old daughter to select one of her wrapped presents from under the tree. Not knowing what was inside, she then was to give it to a needy girl she'd never met at the Empty Tomb Mission in South Omaha.

“She picked out what turned out to be a Barbie Doll, and she gave it to another girl about her age,” Holloway said. “Like many girls, my daughter had crates of Barbie Dolls. So she asked the other girl, ‘How many Barbies do you have?' The little girl held it up and said: ‘Now I have one.' ”

Holloway said that conversation changed his daughter's perspective on giving. Now she and her brother go along with family plans to limit gifts to three per person and to think more about the needs of others at Christmas and throughout the year. The family juggle their finances so they can cook hot Sunday dinners, about once a month, at the Empty Tomb ministry.

The Holloways, like many in the Midlands, embrace a holiday spirit of giving that has nothing to do with diamond jewelry, perfume or cashmere.

This holiday spirit of giving involves families, churches, clubs and office groups across the Midlands.

They cook meals for the homeless and needy.

They shop for groceries, toiletries, hats and mittens to restock shelves of service agencies.

They set up “angel trees” that provide holiday gifts anonymously for the homeless, the orphaned, the children of prisoners, the elderly, the disabled and families that have fallen on hard times.

At Mary Our Queen Catholic Church, for example, the Human Needs Group provided holiday gifts for 202 families — including 552 children — last year.

This year's gifts are to be wrapped, labeled and ready for delivery on Dec. 12. The gifts will then be loaded onto trucks and delivered to agencies such as Heart Ministry, Siena-Francis House, St. Joseph's Door Ministry, OneWorld Community Center, Restored Hope and Precious Memories Day Care. Deliveries can then be made in ways that protect the pride and the privacy of the recipients.

The need for the gift program has never been greater, with people out of work or struggling to pay for health insurance on a new job without benefits, according to Mary Parizek, organizer of the holiday gift program for the past 30 years.

But she doesn't have trouble finding volunteers to help.

“Year after year, people do it,” Parizek said. “I have people who have been doing it for 20 years. I have groups (from local companies) that take two or three families. I have companies that have fundraisers, bake sales, casual days to raise money. One company takes four large families.”

A grandmother in the congregation said the best gift she could give her nine grandchildren was to teach them to share. So she gave each child $25 to buy toys and clothing for a family in need, Parizek said.

“Adopting a Christmas family is like having your cake and eating it too,” Parizek said. “You watch your own family enjoy their gifts, and you know how much another family is enjoying theirs.”

Clorita O'Hara has been one of the givers for the Mary Our Queen program for several years. She and her five adult children adopt one of the families and try to fulfill their wish lists.

“We don't need much, and it's nice to share with a family nearby that does,” O'Hara said.

O'Hara's daughter Kathy said shopping for someone in need is far less stressful than typical holiday shopping.

“It's heartwarming,” Kathy O'Hara said. “It feels like the original feelings you got at Christmas. Giving to others in need invigorates us. It makes the shopping a real pleasure because you know these items are needed.”

Kim Kuncl of Papillion said she and her husband, Eric, have long bought presents, anonymously, for the Christmas angel tree at Messiah Lutheran Church. They're also involved with service projects like collecting and delivering groceries to needy families for Thanksgiving dinners.

In recent years Kuncl's 10-year-old daughter has been an “angel” for a girl and her 7-year-old son has been an “angel” for a boy.

“They usually they pick out fun items that seem like fun items for themselves,” Kuncl said. “Both of my kids say these kids might not have a gift if we don't give them something.”

Kuncl said her youngsters' interest in helping others soared a few years ago when they helped their parents serve a dinner at Project Hope in downtown Omaha.

“It opened their eyes to why it's so important to give, rather than going to a movie,” Kuncl said. “It was a neat experience for them because there were children there. They hear about other families in need but it's different when you actually see them.

“I hope they will keep that giving spirit throughout their lives.”

Contact the writer:

402-444-1052, [email protected]